Course Descriptions

Administration of Human Services

AHS 6600Survey of Human Services3 credits

This course reviews the historical foundations and development of human services and provides the context for how different human services emerged. The course will explore the various political, legislative and social influences on the development of human services.

AHS 6610Administration of Human Service Organizations3 credits

This course will provide basic knowledge, theory and skills in the administrative aspects of the human service delivery system. Issues of supervision, management and development of paid and volunteer staff will be addressed. Fiscal administration, including the creation of budgets, grant and contract negotiations and implementation of fiscal controls will be discussed. The concepts of coalition building, legislative advocacy and community organizing will also be introduced. The relationship between administrator and board of directors in a non-profit setting will also be reviewed.

AHS 6620Legal and Ethical Issues in Human Service Administration3 credits

This course will explore the legal/regulatory framework in which human service organizations exist. The concept of risk management in a non-corporate setting will be introduced. The state and federal laws which regulate client services and employment will be reviewed, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the legal prohibitions against gender, race and age discrimination. Students will be introduced to the ethical standards of the National Organization for Human Services and will develop an understanding of human services ethics and their application in practice.

This course will focus on the analysis of human service needs and the selection and development of appropriate organizational programming. Students will be introduced to the principles of program design, implementation and evaluation. Students will learn to design interventions and evaluate outcomes. The concepts of short-term and long-term strategic planning will be introduced.

This course will explore the range of populations served by human service professionals. Conditions such as aging, poverty, crime, mental illness, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities will be reviewed within the political, legal, economic and social framework impacting on these conditions and client populations.

This course will provide students with the knowledge and theory of human systems, including individual, interpersonal, group, family, organizational, community and societal interactions. The systems approach will be presented in a manner that provides the students the opportunity to engage in a comparative process with other available approaches.

AHS 7615Topics: Administering Faith-based Human Services3 credits

This course will focus on the challenges of managing the delivery of human services within a faith-based organization. The impact of the religious mission, values and beliefs, and organizational leadership structure of faith-based groups are factors that will be studied.

Information management is a vital component of organizations and this course will address the appropriate integration and use of information such as client data, statistical information, record keeping and information management skills.

AHS 7625Administering Disability Services3 credits

This course will focus on social policy and administrative issues in providing services to people with disabilities. Federal regulations, court rulings, and policy mandates, as well as the history of service provision for those with disabilities, will be reviewed. Issues of providing program services in accordance with laws, regulations, and policies will be discussed. Students will learn about the systems that support the full participation of people with disabilities in all facets of life. Students will also develop skills to evaluate programs for this client population.

AHS 7630Communication in Human Services3 credits

Developing small group, organizational and intercultural communication skills is vital for managers in human service organizations. Critical thinking for problem solving and decision-making will be addressed. Students will learn skills for dealing effectively with conflict. In addition, written communication vehicles like performance appraisals and related employee documentation will be discussed.

AHS 7634Leadership through Films3 credits

The quest for understanding leadership on personal, organizational and global levels is both elusive and complex. This course is designed to stimulate thoughtful consideration into the nature of leadership as depicted in film. Film provides unique insight into the character, motives, and culture allowing the student to access meaning and significance through theoretical, analytic and dialogic inquiry.

AHS 7640Social Policy, Advocacy and Human Services3 credits

To effect social change through advocacy is a basic tenet of human services. This course will provide students with the theory, knowledge, and skills to analyze, interpret, and influence social policy and laws and engage in the necessary critical thinking processes that are involved.

AHS 7645Financial Management in Human Services3 credits

Financial management is a vital component of Human Services organizations. This course will address a) the importance of financial management b) the basics of accounting and financial statements c) the use of finances as performance measures d) budgeting systems and models, and e) auditing/evaluation processes.

AHS 7650Managing Children and Family Services3 credits

Children and family services has become a complex area of specialization in the human services field. A knowledge of the issues and resolution paths is essential for human services professionals. This course will address the social policy and legal contexts for providing services to children and their families. Skills to evaluate intervention outcomes will also be discussed.

AHS 7655Principles of Creating a Human Service Organization3 credits

Creating an effective human service organization is critical in addressing the ever-changing needs of society. This course will equip students with the necessary tools to develop and manage a service-focused organization. Participants will learn how to develop a vision and mission, formulate a business plan, and shape an effective marketing plan. In addition, participants will learn how to complete the federal 501(c)3 application process for tax exempt nonprofit human service organizations.

A critical skill for human service administrators is the ability to effectively raise funds to support programming. This course will teach the skills necessary for effective fundraising, including grant writing and managing grant-funded programs. Locating public and private sources of funds will be discussed.

AHS 7670Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Management3 credits

This course will focus on the social policy and legal contexts for providing substance abuse treatment services. Inpatient and out-patient models will be discussed. Issues surrounding court-mandated clients and judicial referrals will be addressed. Students will develop skills to evaluate intervention outcomes for this client population.

A critical skill for human service administrators is the ability to effectively raise funds to support programming. This course will teach the skills necessary for effective fundraising, including grant writing and managing grant-funded programs. Locating public and private sources of funds will be discussed.

AHS 7680Administering Programs for Senior Adults3 credits

The focus of this course will be on managing meaningful programming for senior adults in a variety of community and residential settings. Standards of care and legal and policy mandates regarding service provision will be reviewed. The issues of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation will be included.

AHS 7685Fund Development & Fundraising in the Human Service Environment3 credits

A critical skill for human service administrators is the ability to effectively raise funds to support program, operations and capital needs. This course will teach the skills necessary for an effective fund development plan in traditional and on line markets for direct mail/on line, special events, leadership gifts, federated appeals and planned giving, with a focus on collaborations and partnership opportunities with private and public organizations.

AHS 7690Volunteer Management3 credits

Volunteers are the backbone of many non-profit organizations. Volunteers operate in functions ranging from clerical support to the management of the agency as a member of the board of directors. This course will discuss the skills necessary to effectively manage volunteer operations in an organization, including recruitment, training, supervision and retention. Legal requirements and clearances for volunteers working with special populations will also be discussed.

AHS 8100Guided Practicum in Administration of Human Services3 credits

This course is designed to give new professionals the hands-on experience of human service administration in a supervised learning environment. Students will engage in a guided practicum of a minimum of 120 hours at a mutually agreed upon human service organization. The practicum will provide the student with supervised experience in a managerial position. Students may complete this requirement at their current workplace, provided that their practicum assignment will be in an administrative facet of the organization AND not directly related to their existing work assignment. Some students may choose to enroll in a second Guided Practicum as a free elective option. PreRequisite: Faculty Approval.

AHS 8110Guided Practicum—Part II3 credits

This course is for students who wish to continue working at their practicum site beyond the minimally required 120 hours. The second phase of the guided practicum, also 120 hours in length, will allow students without a substantial work background in the field of human services to gain additional hands-on experience. More seasoned students may also choose to extend their practicum in order to complete a more complex field placement assignment.

AHS 8200Capstone Project in Human Services Administration3 credits

This course is offered as an alternative to the Guided Practicum for students who have extensive workplace experience in a human service agency setting. Consideration will be given to students who can demonstrate, through a portfolio of accomplishments, that they have five years of supervised, professional, full-time work experience in a human service agency. Students will complete a capstone project that will be designed to meet a need of either the student’s current workplace or a selected human service agency and may include program development, evaluation or other research need identified by the agency. The student’s project will have a practical application and benefit to the host organization.